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Camille
SAINT-SAËNS (1835-1921) Deuxičme Fantaisie, Op.101
see Romantic
and Virtuoso Works for Organ
Camille
SAINT-SAËNS (1835-1921) Violin Sonata 1 see Petite École
Timothy
SALTER (b.1942) Piano Quartet
Ensemble na Mara
rec. 2007 USK 1228CDS
[15:29][JW] 
Integrates
and characterises with imagination - a fine work ... see Full
Review
Giovanni
Battista SAMMARTINI (1700/1-1775) Concerto ŕ piů stromenti,
for 2 violins, 2 oboes, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, strings and continuo in
E flat, J 73 see The
Rise of the North Italian Violin Concerto
Domenico
SARRO (1679-1744)
Achille in Sciro
Gabriella Martellacci, Marcello Nardis, O Internazionale d’Italia/Federico
Maria Sardelli rec. live, 2007
DYNAMIC CDS571/1-3 [3 CDs: 75:23 + 71:19 + 42:36]
[GPu]
Sadly
there are many flaws but an interesting and significant opera … see Full
Review
Erik
SATIE (1866-1925) Gnossienne 1-3, Le
Fils des Etoiles, Prélude de la Porte Héroďque du Ciel, Sonneries
de la Rose + Croix, Gymnopédie 1-3, Ogive 1-4 Claire
Chevallier (Erard piano, 1905) rec. 2008 Zig
Zag Territoires ZZT080901 [67:39] [BW]
Not
my ideal recording of Satie ... see Full
Review
Domenico
SCARLATTI
(1685-1757)
Te Deum, Stabat Mater, Miserere, Magnificat,
Laetatus sum
Choir of King’s College, Cambridge/Stephen Cleobury rec. 2002
EMI CLASSICS 2357352 [70.55] 
[RH]
A
programme worth investigating ... see Full
Review
Alfred
SCHNITTKE (1934-1998) Piano
concertos Ewa
Kupiec, Maria Lettberg (piano) Berlin RSO/Frank Strobel rec.
2005/6 PHOENIX
EDITION 103 
[72:45] [DM][RB]
Powerful,
authoritative performances, a sonic treat, too [DM] ... Soviet triumphalistic
romance, pounding dissonance, smoky subtlety [RB] ... see Full
Review
Maurice
SCHOEMAKER (1890 – 1964) Flemish Rhapsody see
Flemish Rhapsodies
Arnold
SCHOENBERG (1874-1951) Pelléas
und Mélisande, Erwartung Anja
Silja (soprano) Philharmonia O/Robert Craft rec. 1999/2000 NAXOS
8.557527 [69:00] [DM]
A
decent, idiomatic Pelléas, but Erwartung let down by overstretched
soloist ... see Full Review
Franz
SCHUBERT (1797-1828) Piano
Trios Wu Han
(piano) Philip Setzer (violin) David Finkel (cello) rec. 2008 ARTISTLED
10802-2 [77:41] [JS]
I
cannot give this more than a half-hearted welcome ... see Full
Review
Franz
SCHUBERT (1797-1828) Piano
Quintet in A, D667 The Trout (1819) [34:36] Antonín
DVOŘÁK (1841-1904) Piano Trio in E minor, Op.
90 Dumky* (1891) [32:19] Jörg
Demus (piano); Schubert Quartet rec. 1958/99 ADD DEUTSCHE
GRAMMOPHON ELOQUENCE 4800489 [67:00]
A
true marriage of minds ... see Full
Review
Franz
SCHUBERT (1797-1828) Lieder Elizabeth
Watts (soprano) Roger Vignoles (piano) rec. 2008 RCA
RED SEAL 88697 329322 [69.42] [WH]
A
fine young singer and a master accompanist ... see Full
Review
Franz
SCHUBERT
(1797-1828)
Symphonies 8 & 9 Berlin
PO/Wilhelm Furtwängler rec. 1951/2
MUSIC AND ARTS CD-1218 [79:24] 
[JW]
By
no means an extensive performer of Schubert’s music ... see Full
Review
Franz
Peter SCHUBERT (1797-1828) Piano Trio see MacMILLAN
Franz
SCHUBERT (1797-1828) Die Freunde von
Salamanka
Austrian Radio Chorus and Symphony Orchestra/Theodor Guschlbauer rec.
1978 BRILLIANT OPERA
COLLECTION 93931 [74:27][ST]
Really
more about curiosity value and probably for completists ... see Full
Review
Robert
SCHUMANN (1810-1856) Fantasy, Symphonic
Studies Alfred Brendel
(piano) rec. 1966 ALTO
ALC1046 [58:04]
[BW]
Too ‘cool’ for
some but I enjoyed it very much ... see Full
Review
Robert
SCHUMANN (1810-1856) Piano Sonata
No.1; Fantasie
Leif Ove Andsnes (piano) rec. 1996
EMI CLASSICS 2357412 [63:45][DC]
Masculine
playing and a demanding listen, but highly rewarding ... see Full
Review
Robert
SCHUMANN (1810-1856) Piano Concerto see BRAHMS
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Rodion SHCHEDRIN
(b. 1932) The Sealed Angel
Choir of Gonville & Caius College, Cambridge/Geoffrey Webber; Choir
of King’s College, London/David Trendall rec. 2008
DELPHIAN DCD34067 [54:42][JQ]
A
work of great beauty and profundity, splendidly performed ... see Full
Review
Dmitri
SHOSTAKOVICH
(1906-1975)
Festive Overture, Symphony 5
Philharmonia O/Vladimir Ashkenazy rec. live, 2001
SIGNUM CLASSICS SIGCD135 [50:13]
[DM]
What
more could you possibly want? ... see Full
Review
Dmitri
SHOSTAKOVICH (1906-1975) Symphony
1, Piano Concerto 2, String Quartet 8, Violin Concerto 1, Cello
Concerto 1 John
Ogdon, Han-Na Chang, Sarah
Chang, Mariss Jansons
rec. 1970-2006 EMI CLASSICS
2376862 [75:27
+ 77:57] [DC]
A
steal, but which is the real bargain? ... see Full
Review
BARGAIN
OF THE MONTH Jean SIBELIUS (1865-1957)
Night Ride and Sunrise etc.
New Zealand Symphony Orchestra/Pietari Inkinen rec. 2007
NAXOS 8.570763
[64:34][LW]
One
terrific disc! ... see Full Review
Nikos
SKALKOTTAS (1904-1949)
Sonata for solo violin (1925) see Essentials
Roger SMALLEY (b. 1943)
Through a Glass Darkly
Australian String Quartet; Roger Smalley (piano)
MELBA MR301112 [62:35][CR]
Well
worth exploring ... see Full Review
Bedřich
SMETANA (1824–1884) Prodaná nevěsta
(The Bartered Bride)
Frankfurter Opernhaus- und Museumsorchester/Walter Goehr rec. 1954
GALA GL100810 [75:47 + 66:24][GF]
Not
a top contender but worth hearing for the conducting and Rehfuss’ Kezal
... see Full Review
Carl
STAMITZ (1745–1801) Concerto
No.4 for two clarinets; Orchestral Quartet
in G Johann STAMITZ (1717–1757) Clarinet Concerto in B
flat
Hans Deinzer, Jann Engel (clarinets); Cappella
Coloniensis/Gabriele Ferro, Ulf Björlin
rec. 1982-3
PHOENIX EDITION 177 [48:01][BBr]
Great
fun, quite stylish performances and good sound ... see Full
Review
Charles
Villiers STANFORD (1852-1924) Piano
Music - Land of Sunset Glories
Christopher Howell (piano) rec. 28-29 July 2008, Studio L’Eremo, Lessona,
Italy. DDD SHEVA 019
[63:36]
[MC]
Attractive and rewarding ... many delights
to be uncovered. ... see Full
Review
William Sterndale Bennett (1816-1875) Sonata see English
Piano Works
Robert
STILL
(1910-1971) Symphonies No. 3,
4 Humphrey SEARLE (1915-1982) Symphony
No. 2 London Symphony
Orchestra/Eugene Goossens (3); Royal Philharmonic Orchestra/Myer Fredman
(4); London Philharmonic Orchestra/Josef Krips rec. 1962 (3); 1974 (4);
1972 (2). ADD LYRITA
SRCD.285 [69:22]
[RB]
Broodingly
serious works from extravagant imaginations ... see Full
Review
Johann
STRAUSS II (1825 – 1899) Fürstin Ninetta Tua Ĺberg,
Elin Rombo, Anastasia Knapp, Henriikka Gröndahl, Fredrik Strid,
Ninetta Ch, Stockholm Strauss O/Valéria Csányi
rec. live, 2007 NAXOS 8.660227-28 [58:03
+ 45:12] [GF]
Unknown
music out of Strauss’s top drawer ... see Full
Review
Richard
STRAUSS
(1864-1949) CD
1 Don Quixote, Till Eulenspiegels lustige Streiche, Der Rosenkavalier:
Waltzes CD 2 Metamorphosen Capriccio: Sextet Die
Frau ohne Schatten: Symphonic Fantasy Feuersnot: Love Scene
Salome: Dance of the Seven Veils
various Bernard Haitink /Eugen Jochum /Karl Münchinger /Giuseppe
Sinopoli DEUTSCHE
GRAMMOPHON ELOQUENCE 480 0478 [74.22 + 77.18]
[DM]
A
tempting selection, let down by some odd choices ... see Full
Review
Richard
STRAUSS (1864-1949) Cello Sonata etc.
Antonín DVOŘÁK (1841-1904)
Sonatina in G Major etc.
Mischa Maisky (cello); Pavel Gililov (piano) rec. 2008
DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON 4777465 [74:59][PPLL]
The
fruit of years of music-making ... see Full
Review
Richard
STRAUSS (1864-1949) Intermezzo (1924) Felicity
Lott, John Pringle, Glyndebourne Festival Opera Ch London PO/Gustav
Kuhn
rec. live, 1983 WARNER CLASSICS
5051442 885729 
[154:00] [ST]
The
work of a skilled Strauss interpreter … see Full
Review
Richard
STRAUSS (1864-1949)
The Complete Songs Vol. 4
Christopher Maltman (baritone) Alistair Miles (bass) James Boyd (viola)
Roger Vignoles (piano) rec. 2008
HYPERION CDA67667 [60:57]
[JQ]
This
latest instalment is welcome and enjoyable ... see Full
Review
Richard
STRAUSS (1864-1949) Burleske, Duet-Concertino, Oboe
concerto, Aus Italien, Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme Jean-Yves
Thibaudet
(piano) Dmitri Ashkenazy (clarinet); Kim Walker (bassoon) Gordon
Hunt (oboe) Leipzig Gewandhaus O/Herbert Blomstedt Berlin
RSO, Cleveland O/Vladimir Ashkenazy Vienna
PO/Lorin Maazel rec. 1966-2004 DECCA
ELOQUENCE 4800404 [64:09 + 77:32] [IB]
Enough
delights to make very worthwhile ... see Full
Review
Josef
SUK (1874-1935) Asrael
Helsinki PO/Vladimir
Ashkenazy rec. 2008
ONDINE ODE1132-5
[61:32]
[RB]
The
very best of the modern recordings ... see Full
Review
Tadeusz SZELIGOWSKI (1896-1963)
Piano Concerto; Concerto for Orchestra etc.
Bogdan Czapiewski (piano); Poznań Philharmonic Orchestra/Mariusz
Smolij rec. 2007 NAXOS
8.570371 [76:48][DW]
An
excellent craftsman of agreeable and very digestible music ... see Full
Review
Apolinary
SZELUTO
(1884–1966)
Cello Sonata, Violin Sonata, String Quartet
Konstanty Andrzej Kulka (violin); Andrzej Wróbel (cello); Andrzej Tatarski
(piano); Camerata Vistula Qt rec. 2008
DUX 0672 [76:40]
[BBr]
Well
written but they don’t really go anywhere ... see Full
Review
Karol
SZYMANOWSKI (1882-1937) Harnasie, Mandragora, Prince
Potemkin Wieslaw
Ochman (tenor); Alexander Pinderak (tenor); Ewa Marciniec (mezzo)
Warsaw Philharmonic Ch & O/Antoni Wit rec. 2007 NAXOS
8.570723 [73:17] [J-PJ]
Packs
a bold punch ... see Full
Review
Karol SZYMANOWSKI
(1882-1937)
Piano Music: Nine Preludes Op. 1 ; Variations in
B flat minor Op. 3 ; Etude in B flat minor Op. 4 no. 3 ; Métopes
Op. 29 ; Mazurkas Op. 50 nos. 1-4
Eri Iwamoto (piano) rec. 2008. DDD
ACTE PRÉALABLE AP 0182 [62.25]
[GH]
A
Métopes of effortless virtuosity ... see Full
Review
Karol
SZYMANOWSKI (1882–1937) Mythes see
Europa
Karol
SZYMANOWSKI (1882-1937) Myths see LUTOSŁAWSKI
BARGAIN
OF THE MONTH Thomas TALLIS (1505-1585) The
Complete Works Chapelle
du Roi/Alistair Dixon,
Charivari Agréable
rec. 1996-2004 BRILLIANT CLASSICS
93612 [10 CDs: 657:34] [EM]
Wonderful
music … exquisite music-making... see Full
Review
Sergey TANEYEV (1856–1915) Suite de Concert see ARENSKY
Giuseppe
TARTINI (1692-1770) Concerto for violin, strings and continuo
in B flat, D 117b see The
Rise of the North Italian Violin Concerto
John
TAVENER (b. 1944) Ex
Maria Virgine, Birthday Sleep, Angels etc Clare
College Ch, Cambridge, Timothy Brown rec. 2008 NAXOS
8.572168 [63:46] [BBr]
I
enjoyed this and hope it will make many friends for contemporary
music ... see Full Review
Boris
TCHAIKOVSKY (1925-1996) Fantasia
on Russian Folk Themes, Sinfonietta for string orchestra, Capriccio
on English Themes, Slavonic Rhapsody Moscow
RSO/Alexander Gauk, Moscow PO/Samuil Samosud
rec. 1952-7 NORTHERN FLOWERS
NF/PMA9957 [62:09] [JW]
Lyricism
and warmth meet their match in galvanising performances. ... see Full
Review
Pyotr Ilyich TCHAIKOVSKY
(1840-1893)
The Storm, Symphony 5, The Tempest
NBC SO/Leopold Stokowski rec. 1942/3
GUILD GHCD2334 [73.41]
[JW]
I
make no great secret of my admiration of Stokowski ... see Full
Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Peter Ilyich
TCHAIKOVSKY (1840-1893)
Symphony
No.5 in E Minor, Op.64 [48:04] Francesca da Rimini, Op.32 [25:33] Simón
Bolívar Youth Orchestra of Venezuela; Gustavo Dudamel rec. 2008, DDD
DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON
4778022 [73:37]
[PL]
Filled
with dynamism, introspection and heart-lifting emotional surges ...
see Full Review
Pyotr Ilyich TCHAIKOVSKY
(1840-1893) Symphony No. 6; The
Tempest
State Radio Committee Grand Symphony Orchestra/Nikolai Golovanov rec. 1948
VISTA VERA VVCD00147 [74:18][RB]
A
must-hear if you can tolerate raw and virile Soviet interpretations
... see Full Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Pyotr Ilyich
TCHAIKOVSKY (1840-1893) Manfred Symphony; Romeo
and Juliet
State TV and Radio Grand Symphony Orchestra/Konstantin Symeonov rec.
1960 VISTA VERA VVCD-00150
[79:33][RB]
A
great Manfred ... see Full
Review
Pyotr
Il’yich TCHAIKOVSKY (1840-1893) Violin
Concerto; Piano Concerto No. 1
Wolfgang Schneiderhan (violin); Winfried Wolf (piano); Czech Philharmonic
Orchestra/Václav Talich rec. 1940-1
PRISTINE AUDIO PASC138 [65:52][JW]
Grab
it ... see Full Review
Piotr
Ilyich TCHAIKOVSKY (1840-1893) Romeo and Juliet see
WAGNER
Sigismond
THALBERG (1812-1871) Fantaisies, Etudes Stefan
Irmer (piano) rec. 2008 MUSIKPRODUKTION
DABRINGHAUS
UND GRIMM MDG61815512 [67:38] [CC]
A
major release … entirely laudable in every way ... see Full
Review
Giuseppe
TORELLI (1658-1709) The
Original Brandenburg Concertos Charivari
Agréable/Kah-Ming Ng
rec. 2008 SIGNUM CLASSICS SIGCD157 [62:30] [MS]
Fresh
and translucent … something new, colourful and pleasing ... see Full
Review
Geirr
TVEITT (1908 – 1981)
Sinfonia di Soffiatori, Sinfonietta de Soffiatori, Hardanger Tunes,
Prinds Christan Frederiks Honnřrmarch, Det gamle Kvernhuset, Hymne til
Fridomen Royal Norwegian
Navy Band/Bjarte Engeset rec. 2007
NAXOS 8.572095 [65:14]
[GF]
Should
be heard by everyone who has fallen under Tveitt’s spell ... see Full
Review
Geirr
TVEITT (1908-1981) Sinfonia
di Soffiatori etc.
The Royal Norwegian Navy Band, Bjarte Engeset
rec. 2007
NAXOS 8.572095 [65:14][BBr]
A
necessity for every record shelf ... see Full
Review
Romuald TWARDOWSKI (b.
1930) Liturgy
of St. John Chrysostom (2007) [69.14]
Deacon - Petro Hrekov (bass) Priest – Roman Puchko (tenor) Chamber Choir
“Kyiv”/Mykola Hobdych rec. Trinity Church, Kiev, September 2007
ACTE PREALABLE AP0193 [69.14]
[RH]
If
you enjoy choral music then buy this disc ... see Full
Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Jacobus Vaet (c1529-1567) Missa
Ego flos campi Cinquecento
Renaissance Vokal
rec. 2008 HYPERION CDA67733 
[75:21] [BW]
The
best recording yet in Cinquecento’s very fine series ... see Full
Review
Fartein
VALEN (1887-1952) Orchestral
music - Vols 2 & 3 Symphonies 2-4, Piano Concerto, Nenia, An
Die Hoffnung, Epithalamion, Kirkegarden vid Havet, La
Isla de las Calmas, Ode til Ensomheten Einar
Henning Smebye (piano) Stavanger SO/Christian Eggen
rec. 2006/7 BIS BISCD1632 & BISCD1642 [61:49] & [49:00] [RB]
Poetic
and sometimes anguished dissonance ... see Full
Review
Ralph
VAUGHAN WILLIAMS (1872-1958) A
London Symphony William
MATHIAS (1934-1992) Celtic
Dances National Youth O of
Wales/Owain Arwel Hughes rec. 2008 DIVINE
ART DDV24135 [58:47] [EM]
An
admirable pairing ... see Full Review
Giuseppe
VERDI (1813–1901) Un Ballo in
Maschera
Tokyo Philharmonic Chorus; The NHK Symphony Orchestra/Oliviero de Fabritiis
rec. 1967 VAI 4436
[145.00
+ bonus: 24.00][RMK]
Bergonzi,
Stella, Zanasi and Guglielmi: even in mono do not ask for more ... see
Full Review
Giuseppe
VERDI (1813–1901)
Don Carlo
Cesare Siepi, Jussi Björling, Robert Merrill, Ch & O Metropolitan
Opera House, New York/Fritz Stiedry rec. 1950
WEST HILL RADIO ARCHIVES WHRA6021 [3 CDs: 68:02 + 66:53 + 68:49]
[GF]
No
true admirer of Jussi Björling can afford to be without this issue.
... see Full Review
Giuseppe
VERDI (1813–1901)
Rigoletto
Maria Callas,
Tito Gobbi, Giuseppe Di Stefano, Ch & O Teatro
alla Scala, Milano/Tullio Serafin rec. 1955
BRILLIANT CLASSICS 93932 [56:08 + 61:51]
[GF]
Grab
the opportunity at once. You will never regret it! ... see Full
Review
Antonio
VIVALDI
(1678 – 1741)
Mandolin Concerto in C, RV425 (FV1) [8:14] Sonata in G minor, RV42
[11:18] Lute Concerto in D, RV93 [10:37] Keyboard Concerto in D (arranged
by J S Bach, BWV972) [8:43] Double Mandolin Concerto in G, RV532 (FV2)
[11:51] Viola d’amore and Lute Concerto in D minor, RV540 (F.XIII.38)
[11:41] Trio Sonata in C, RV82 [9:56]
Eliot Fisk (guitar); Albert Fuller (harpsichord); Frederic Hand (guitar);
Louise Schulman (viola d’amore); Orchestra of St Luke’s rec. DDD
NIMBUS NI 2515 [72:20]
[BBr]
Will
please but not convinced this is how these works should sound ...
see Full Review
Antonio
VIVALDI (1678-1741) Concertos see The
Rise of the North Italian Violin Concerto
Georg
Christoph WAGENSEIL (1715-1777) Fortepiano Concertos
4 & 5 see MOZART
Tragic
Lovers
Richard WAGNER
(1813-1883) Prelude and Liebestod from Tristan und Isolde
Hector BERLIOZ (1803-1869)
Love Scene from Romeo and Juliet Piotr
Ilyich TCHAIKOVSKY (1840-1893) Romeo and Juliet
Oregon Symphony/James
DePreist rec. 2008
DELOS DE3369 [54:22]
[J-PJ]
Very
nearly uncontroversial yet brilliant ... see Full
Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH
William WALTON (1902-1983)
Sinfonia Concertante see IRELAND
William
WALTON
(1902-1983)
Cello Concerto* (1956) Ernest BLOCH
(1894-1959) Suite No. 1 for solo cello (1956-57) György
LIGETI (1923-2006) Sonata for solo cello (1948 and 1953)
William WALTON (1902-1983) Passacaglia
for solo cello (1979-80) Benjamin BRITTEN
(1913-1976) Ciaccona, from Suite No. 2 for solo cello,
Op. 80 (1967) Pieter
Wispelwey (cello) Sydney Symphony Orchestra/Jeffrey Tate* rec. August
2007, Sydney Opera House, Australia (concerto) and August 2008, Onder
de Linden, Valthermond, Holland (solo cello works). DDD
ONYX CLASSICS ONYX4042 [66:22]
[MC]
A
welcome addition to any cello music collection ... see Full
Review
John
WHITE
(b. 1936) Piano Sonatas No.1,
4, 5, 9 Alun HODDINOTT (1929–2008)
Piano Sonata No.1, 2 Nocturnes No.1, 2 Elegy No.3
Colin Kingsley (White); Valerie Tryon (Hoddinott) rec. May 1960, 1962
LYRITA REAM.2108
[41:38 + 43:25]
[HC]
A
most welcome re-issue and well worth having ... see Full
Review
Bedřich
WIEDERMANN (1883-1951)
Impetuoso see Romantic
and Virtuoso Works for Organ,
Vol.3
Malcolm
WILLIAMSON
(1931-2003) Orchestral Works Vol. 2
Elevamini, Epitaphs for Edith Sitwell, Symphony 5, Lento
Iceland SO/Rumon Gamba
rec. 2006 CHANDOS CHAN10406
[67:06]
[RB]
A
redemptive confidence in future peace ... see Full
Review
Ermanno
WOLF-FERRARI (1876-1948) Orchestral Works
Karen Geoghegan (bassoon); BBC Philharmonic
Orchestra/Gianandrea Noseda rec. 2008
CHANDOS
CHAN10511 [79:28][JW]
An
enjoyable and engaging voyage through some genial effusions ... see
Full Review
Eugčne
YSAźE (1858-1931)
Six Sonatas for solo violin Op. 27 see Essentials
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